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A group of children happily playing with old tires. We arrived to a small village in Togo near the border with Ghana (West Africa) called Takpamba, to pass the medical consultation that we had scheduled for that day with the doctors of our NGO.
It was a very small settlement. Away from everything. During the rainy season that becomes it farther if that is possible by floods that multiply the diseases in those patients who had been arrived to the improvised medical station under the shade of a large mango tree. In the middle of nowhere…
By mid-afternoon, after spending all the day coexisting with illnesses that in many cases not even appear in the textbooks, I decided to go out and breathe some fresh air trying to escape from suffering that we had been watching all day in the faces of that sick people.
And there it was. A group of children. The sons, nephews and grandchildren of our patients... playing happily. Running behind those old motorcycle wheels in that red dirty track full of dust. Smiles and more smiles. Noisy joy. Pure happiness...
It is curious to note, there are times when the line between suffering and happiness is so small and fuzzy that scares...

About author:

Since the mid-90s he has always been involved with the photographic medium: Founds and chairs “Nostromo” Photographers Association (Spain). Professor (over fifteen years) of photography: University of Cantabria (Spain), American University UAM (Nicaragua), Central American University UCA (Nicaragua), Caribbean University URACCAN (Nicaragua), Cantabrian Government and Santander City Hall (Spain)… He writes about photography in different publications. Publisher in “Xplorer” Magazine (Nicaragua). Free-lance photographer for several International News Agencies. General Manager Xtreme Photo WS (Burkina Faso, Africa)…

In 2003 he founds, and since then he presides, the NGO OASIS.

He has exhibited (more than eighty exhibitions) his work in Galleries and Museums.

Prizes and Grants (selection):
Direct Look. 1st Problem Category, 2016
Direct Look. 3rd Conflict Category, 2016
Photography Grant. Story Nominee (Sannám), 2016
Photography Grant. Story Nominee (Sorcière), 2016
Platja d’Aro. HM, 2016
Rivne Photographic Arts Cup. Gold Medal, 2016
Odessa/Batumi Photo Days, 2016
Indian Photography Festival, 2016
Siena International Photo Awards. HM, 2016
Siena International Photo Awards. RA, 2016
Alfred Fried Photography Award. Finalist, 2016
The Other Hundred Educators. Finalist, 2016
Moscow International Foto Awards. HM, 2016
Grand Prize HIPA. 2016
III Documentary Photography Days. 2016
Photo Nikon Pro. HM, 2015
Pictures of the Year, POYLatam 2015
Felix Schoeller Photo Award. Nominee, 2015
II International Digital Biennial Photojournalism. FIAP HM, 2015
International Image Festival, Finalist, FINI 2015
CFC Silver Medal 2015
Grand Prix of the Humanity Photo Awards 2013 - UNESCO/CFPA
Documentary Award. Humanity Photo Awards 2013
International Documentary Photo Award GEA PHOTOWORDS (2012)
REVELA International Photo Award (2012)
FIAP’s and CEF’s Silver Medal. “A World for All: Overcoming disabilities” (2012)
Latin-American Documentary Photo Award (2010)
Cantabria´s Government Grant of Arts (2001-2005)
III Fotoencontres del Espai de la Fotografía de Valencia Grant (2000)
National Photo Award to Young Artist (INJUVE, Madrid) (97)
…

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